110-578: The Kroger Company , or simply Kroger , is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio , Kroger operates 2,719 grocery retail stores under its various banners and divisions in 35 states (mostly in the South, Midwest and West) and
220-602: A profit . Retailers are the final link in the supply chain from producers to consumers. Retail markets and shops have a very ancient history, dating back to antiquity. Some of the earliest retailers were itinerant peddlers . Over the centuries, retail shops were transformed from little more than "rude booths" to the sophisticated shopping malls of the modern era. In the digital age , an increasing number of retailers are seeking to reach broader markets by selling through multiple channels, including both bricks and mortar and online retailing . Digital technologies are also affecting
330-647: A 5 percent market share. By 1982, it withdrew from the California market. Kroger opened stores in Florida under the SupeRx and Florida Choice banners from the 1960s until 1988, when the chain decided to exit the state and sold all of its stores; Kash n' Karry bought the largest share. In the 1970s, Kroger became the first grocer in the United States to test an electronic scanner and the first to formalize consumer research. Although Kroger has long operated stores in
440-403: A century before this rumor became reality, when Kroger announced in 2022 that it would acquire Safeway's parent company, Albertsons . In the 1930s, Kroger Grocery and Baking Company became the first grocery chain to monitor product quality and to test foods offered to customers. It also became the first company with a store surrounded on all four sides by parking lots. In 1932, the company tested
550-433: A consumerist culture, where a high level of consumption was attainable for a wide variety of ordinary consumers rather than just the elite. In Medieval England and Europe , relatively few permanent shops were to be found; instead, customers walked into the tradesman's workshops where they discussed purchasing options directly with tradesmen. In the more populous cities, a small number of shops were beginning to emerge by
660-596: A data breach had exposed 4.2 million credit and debit cards to fraudulent misuse. The intrusion also affected Sweetbay stores and certain independently owned retail locations in the Northeast that carried Hannaford products. The company was aware of about 1,800 cases of fraud related to the data intrusion. In August, Sweetbay became the official supermarket of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball club. In January 2013, Sweetbay announced that 33 stores would close, leaving
770-522: A day, and many consumers across the globe have Internet access both at work and at home. The broad pricing strategy is normally established in the company's overall strategic plan. In the case of chain stores, the pricing strategy would be set by head office. Broadly, there are six approaches to pricing strategy mentioned in the marketing literature: operations-oriented, revenue-oriented, customer-oriented, value-based , relationship-oriented , and socially-oriented. When decision-makers have determined
880-493: A definitive merger, bringing Roundy's chain's 166 primarily Wisconsin based chains under Kroger ownership. The merger is valued at $ 800 million, including debt. The acquisition, which brought Kroger back to Wisconsin after a 43-year absence, will retain the Roundy's, Pick 'n Save, Mariano's, Metro Market and Copps names, along with its Milwaukee operations. (Within a year-and-a-half, however, Kroger had rebranded all Copps locations to
990-467: A few stores to Jewel . Kroger would later return in 2015 upon its acquisition of Roundy's . Kroger entered the Charlotte market in 1977 and expanded rapidly throughout the 1980s when it bought some stores from BI-LO . However, most stores were in less desirable neighborhoods and did not fit in with Kroger's upscale image. Less than three months after BI-LO pulled out, that company decided to re-enter
1100-503: A flexible workforce which is available when needed but does not have to be paid when they are not, part-time workers ; as of 2012 70% of retail workers in the United States were part-time. This may result in financial problems for the workers, who while they are required to be available at all times if their work hours are to be maximized, may not have sufficient income to meet their family and other obligations. Retailers can employ different techniques to enhance sales volume and to improve
1210-508: A foothold in an existing market, a prospective retail establishment must overcome the following hurdles : When discussing the impact of technology on shopping and retail, e-commerce is often the first thing that comes to mind for retailers. However, technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, computer vision and the Internet of Things have used data to transform every part of the shopping experience, from browsing to checkout. It
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#17327912606311320-440: A form of escapism where they are free to indulge fantasy and freedom. Hedonic shoppers are more involved in the shopping experience. Many different shopper profiles can be identified. Retailers develop customised segmentation analyses for each unique outlet. However, it is possible to identify a number of broad shopper profiles. One of the most well-known and widely cited shopper typologies is that developed by Sproles and Kendal in
1430-498: A full service outlet or minimal service outlet, such as no-service in the case of vending machines; self-service with only basic sales assistance or a full service operation as in many boutiques and speciality stores. In addition, the retailer needs to make decisions about sales support such as customer delivery and after sales customer care. Place decisions are primarily concerned with consumer access and may involve location, space utilisation and operating hours. Retailers may consider
1540-412: A lack of feedback channels for both parties. In addition, because retail enterprises needed to redevelop client relationships for each transaction, marketing costs were high and customer retention was low. All these downsides to transactional marketing gradually pushed the retail industry towards establishing long-term cooperative relationships with customers. Through this lens, enterprises began to focus on
1650-488: A major portion of them in its headquarters state of North Carolina. Doing so, Kroger acquired Harris Teeter's click-and-collect program, which allows online ordering of groceries. Some industry experts saw this as a competitive move against online grocers such as AmazonFresh . The Harris Teeter acquisition marked Kroger's return to the Charlotte market after a 25-year absence. It also allowed Kroger to enter Asheville for
1760-586: A market-leading presence in Nashville and initially promised to keep the five remaining Harris Teeter stores open when it acquired the chain, but the market "did not support Harris Teeter's future business plans". Two Harris Teeter stores were closed outright, and three closed temporarily while being converted to the Kroger brand (one of these would undergo a major remodeling and replace a neighboring Kroger store). On November 11, 2015, Kroger and Roundy's announced
1870-512: A mix of food products and consumable household items such as detergents, cleansers, personal hygiene products. Retailers selling consumer durables are sometimes known as hardline retailers – automobiles , appliances , electronics , furniture , sporting goods , lumber , etc., and parts for them. Specialist retailers operate in many industries such as the arts e.g. green grocers, contemporary art galleries , bookstores , handicrafts , musical instruments , gift shops . To achieve and maintain
1980-490: A much smaller presence and the SuperValu-supplied stores are virtually nonexistent, though in all of these cases, Walmart remains a major competitor and Aldi is the only other supermarket with any market overlap. Kroger entered the competitive San Antonio, Texas , market in 1980 but pulled out in mid-1993. On June 15, 1993, the company announced the closure of its 15 area stores. From 1984 to 1986, Kroger exited
2090-453: A multiple-vendor space, operating under a covered roof. Typically, the roof was constructed of glass to allow for natural light and to reduce the need for candles or electric lighting. Some of the earliest examples of shopping arcade appeared in Paris, due to its lack of pavement for pedestrians. While the arcades were the province of the bourgeoisie, a new type of retail venture emerged to serve
2200-486: A noted business disruption called the retail apocalypse in recent years which several retail businesses, especially in North America, are sharply reducing their number of stores, or going out of business entirely. The distinction between "strategic" and "managerial" decision-making is commonly used to distinguish "two phases having different goals and based on different conceptual tools. Strategic planning concerns
2310-985: A noun in 1433 with the meaning of "a sale in small quantities" from the Middle French verb retailler meaning "a piece cut off, shred, scrap, paring". At present, the meaning of the word retail (in English, French, Dutch, German and Spanish) refers to the sale of small quantities of items to consumers (as opposed to wholesale ). Retail refers to the activity of selling goods or services directly to consumers or end-users. Some retailers may sell to business customers, and such sales are termed non-retail activity. In some jurisdictions or regions, legal definitions of retail specify that at least 80 percent of sales activity must be to end-users. Retailing often occurs in retail stores or service establishments, but may also occur through direct selling such as through vending machines , door-to-door sales or electronic channels. Although
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#17327912606312420-483: A permanent retail shop-front. Research from July 2008 suggests that China exhibited a rich history of early retail systems. From as early as 200 BCE, Chinese packaging and branding were used to signal family, place names and product quality, and the use of government imposed product branding was used between 600 and 900 CE. Eckhart and Bengtsson have argued that during the Song dynasty (960–1127), Chinese society developed
2530-692: A pilot project after it opened a grocery store in Indianapolis. The facility, which was surrounded by a 75-car parking space, allowed the company to determine the close relationship between parking facilities and gross sales. Beginning in 1955, Kroger began acquiring supermarket chains, expanding into new markets. In May, Kroger entered the Houston, Texas , market by acquiring the Houston-based 26-store chain Henke & Pillot . In June, Kroger acquired
2640-706: A product is placed on the shelves has implications for purchase likelihood as a result of visibility and access. Ambient conditions, such as lighting, temperature and music, are also part of the overall retail environment. It is common for a retail store to play music that relates to their target market. Two different strands of research have investigated shopper behaviour. One is primarily concerned with shopper motivations. The other stream of research seeks to segment shoppers according to common, shared characteristics. To some extent, these streams of research are inter-related, but each stream offers different types of insights into shopper behaviour. Babin et al. carried out some of
2750-435: A range of both qualitative and quantitative factors to evaluate to potential sites under consideration. Macro factors include market characteristics (demographic, economic and socio-cultural), demand, competition and infrastructure (e.g. the availability of power, roads, public transport systems). Micro factors include the size of the site (e.g. availability of parking), access for delivery vehicles. A major retail trend has been
2860-448: A strictly legal sense, a store that sells the majority of its merchandise directly to consumers, is defined as a retailer rather than a wholesaler. Different jurisdictions set parameters for the ratio of consumer to business sales that define a retail business. Retail markets have existed since ancient times. Archaeological evidence for trade, probably involving barter systems, dates back more than 10,000 years. As civilizations grew, barter
2970-432: A total known value of US$ 2.255 trillion have been announced. The largest transactions with involvement of retailers in/from the United States have been: the acquisition of Albertson's Inc. for US$ 17 billion in 2006, the merger between Federated Department Stores Inc with May Department Stores valued at 16.5 bil. USD in 2005 – now Macy's , and the merger between Kmart Holding Corp and Sears Roebuck & Co with
3080-412: A value of US$ 10.9 billion in 2004. Between 1985 and 2018 there have been 46,755 mergers or acquisitions conducted globally in the retail sector (either acquirer or target from the retail industry). These deals cumulate to an overall known value of around US$ 2,561 billion. The three major Retail M&A waves took place in 2000, 2007 and lately in 2017. However the all-time high in terms of number of deals
3190-455: A wholesale division that purchases blocks of accommodation, hospitality, transport, and sightseeing which are subsequently packaged into a holiday tour for sale to retail travel agents. Some retailers badge their stores as "wholesale outlets" offering "wholesale prices." While this practice may encourage consumers to imagine that they have access to lower prices, while being prepared to trade-off reduced prices for cramped in-store environments, in
3300-475: Is a strong relationship between a store's positioning and the socio-economic status of customers. In addition, the retail strategy, including service quality, has a significant and positive association with customer loyalty. A marketing strategy effectively outlines all key aspects of firms' targeted audience, demographics, preferences. In a highly competitive market, the retail strategy sets up long-term sustainability. It focuses on customer relationships, stressing
3410-402: Is important for organizations to embrace digital disruption in order to gain a competitive advantage. When an industry experiences digital disruption, it typically signals that consumer needs are shifting. Retailers enhance their analytics process and make better informed decisions thanks to big data, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and the Internet of Things. The use of data by retailers
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3520-417: Is loosely based on the marketing mix , but has been expanded and modified in line with the unique needs of the retail context. A number of scholars have argued for an expanded marketing, mix with the inclusion of two new Ps, namely, Personnel and Presentation since these contribute to the customer's unique retail experience and are the principal basis for retail differentiation. Yet other scholars argue that
3630-493: Is mostly evident in the following aspects, based on the above-mentioned new technologies: Many leading brands choose to target tourists who specifically travel to shop or spend money while on vacation. According to the Global Retail Tourism Market Report 2019–2023, the value of the global shopping tourism market was estimated to be around $ 1.2 trillion in 2018. The report also forecasts that
3740-565: Is owned by Kroger), and Food Lion. The Hannaford locations in these markets were purchased from Delhaize by Kroger as a condition of Delhaize's 2000 acquisition of the Hannaford chain, which had previously competed against Food Lion, also owned by Delhaize. Walmart Supercenters are also major competitors in both markets, and the chain briefly competed against Winn-Dixie , which has now exited Virginia. In 2001, Kroger acquired Baker's Supermarkets from Fleming Companies, Inc. Albertsons exited
3850-399: Is sometimes known as the retail servicescape . The store environment consists of many elements such as aromas, the physical environment (furnishings, layout, and functionality), ambient conditions (lighting, air temperature, and music) as well as signs, symbols, and artifacts (e.g. sales promotions, shelf space, sample stations, visual communications). Retail designers pay close attention to
3960-580: Is the largest supermarket operator in the U.S. by revenue and the country's fifth-largest general retailer. The company is one of the largest American-owned private employers in the United States . Additionally, Kroger is ranked No. 25 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest U.S. corporations by total revenue. It is frequently listed as being a good dividend stock for investors in 2024. About two-thirds of Kroger's employees are represented by collective bargaining agreements , with most being represented by
4070-493: The Huntsville - Decatur area of northern Alabama (as a southern extension of its Nashville, Tennessee , region), it has not operated in the state's largest market, Birmingham , since the early 1970s, when it exited as a result of intense competition from Winn-Dixie and local chains Bruno's Supermarkets and Western Supermarkets. Kroger built an ultra-modern dairy plant (Crossroad Farms Dairy) in Indianapolis in 1972. At
4180-489: The Retail Format (i.e. retail formula) should be included. The modified retail marketing mix that is most commonly cited in textbooks is often called the 6 Ps of retailing (see diagram at right). The primary product-related decisions facing the retailer are the product assortment (what product lines, how many lines and which brands to carry); the type of customer service (high contact through to self-service) and
4290-730: The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). In 1883, 23-year-old Bernard Kroger , the fifth of ten children of German immigrants , invested his life savings of $ 372 (equivalent to $ 12,164 in 2023) to open a grocery store at 66 Pearl Street in downtown Cincinnati. The son of a merchant, he ran his business with a simple motto: "Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself." He experimented with marketing products his company had produced so that his customers would not need to patronize separate stores and farms. In 1884, Kroger opened his second store. By 1902, Kroger Grocery and Baking Company had been incorporated. By this time,
4400-521: The 100 fastest-growing U.S. retailers based on increases in domestic sales. Since 1951, the U.S. Census Bureau has published the Retail Sales report every month. It is a measure of consumer spending , an important indicator of the US GDP . Retail firms provide data on the dollar value of their retail sales and inventories. A sample of 12,000 firms is included in the final survey and 5,000 in
4510-606: The 13th century. Outside the major cities, most consumable purchases were made through markets or fairs. Market-places appear to have emerged independently outside Europe. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is often cited as the world's oldest continuously operating market; its construction began in 1455. The Spanish conquistadors wrote glowingly of markets in the Americas. In the 15th century, the Mexica ( Aztec ) market of Tlatelolco
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4620-482: The 18th century, the typical retail store had no counter, display cases, chairs, mirrors, changing rooms, etc. However, the opportunity for the customer to browse merchandise, touch and feel products began to be available, with retail innovations from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. By the late 18th century, grand shopping arcades began to emerge across Europe and in the Antipodes. A shopping arcade refers to
4730-456: The Atlantic to experiment with catalogue sales. In the post-war period, an American architect, Victor Gruen developed a concept for a shopping mall; a planned, self-contained shopping complex complete with an indoor plaza, statues, planting schemes, piped music, and car-parking. Gruen's vision was to create a shopping atmosphere where people felt so comfortable, they would spend more time in
4840-537: The Charlotte market, and in 1988, Kroger announced it was pulling out of the Charlotte market and put its stores up for sale. Ahold bought Kroger's remaining stores in the Charlotte area and converted them to BI-LO. In 1978, sixteen retail members of Parkview Markets Inc., filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Kroger. Kroger had a number of stores in the Western Pennsylvania region, encompassing Pittsburgh and surrounding areas from 1928 until 1984 when
4950-532: The District of Columbia. Its store formats include 134 multi-department stores , 2,273 combo stores , 191 marketplace stores , and 121 price-impact warehouse stores . Kroger operates 33 manufacturing plants, 1,642 supermarket fuel centers, 2,254 pharmacies, 225 The Little Clinic in-store medical clinics, and 127 jewelry stores (782 convenience stores were sold to EG Group in 2018). Kroger's headquarters are located in downtown Cincinnati . The Kroger Company
5060-787: The Healthy Accents brand (for health & beauty items), the Home 360 brand (for home products) and the My Essentials brand (for food products). On August 29, 2007, the last Kash n' Karry store in Crystal River, Florida, closed, marking the end of the Kash n' Karry brand and the full conversion to Sweetbay Supermarket. The transition to Sweetbay proved to be successful in the first year, however, sales growth plateaued after. In March 2008, Hannaford Supermarkets announced that
5170-712: The Houston market was strengthened when Kroger bought several stores from AppleTree Markets , which were former Safeway stores in early 1994. In 1998, Kroger merged with the then fifth-largest grocery company Fred Meyer , along with its subsidiaries, Ralphs , QFC , and Smith's . In the late 1990s, it acquired many stores from A&P as it exited many markets in the South. Kroger also swapped all ten of its Greensboro, North Carolina -area stores in 1999 to Matthews, North Carolina -based Harris Teeter , for 11 of that company's stores in central and western Virginia. Kroger in turn would acquire Harris Teeter 15 years later. Long
5280-711: The Krambo Food Stores, Inc. of Appleton, Wisconsin . In July, it purchased Child's Food Stores, Inc. of Jacksonville, Texas , and operated 25 supermarkets in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In January 1956, the company bought out Big Chain Stores, Inc., a chain of seven stores based in Shreveport, Louisiana , later combining it with the Childs group. All of these chains adopted the Kroger banner in 1966. During all
5390-544: The Michigan Market. In 2008, Kroger began a partnership with Murray's Cheese of New York City. Murray's Cheese counters within Kroger stores sell a variety of artisanal cheese from all parts of the world. On July 9, 2013, Kroger announced that it would acquire the 212 stores of Charlotte-based Harris Teeter in a deal valued at $ 2.5 billion and that it would assume $ 100 million in the company's outstanding debt. Harris Teeter's stores are in eight Southern states, with
5500-469: The Old Louisville (lease expiration) and Southland Terrace stores closed. Retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers , in contrast to wholesaling , which is the sale to business or institutional customers . A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers , directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells in smaller quantities to consumers for
5610-631: The Pick 'n Save banner.) In April 2016, Kroger announced that it had made a "meaningful investment" in the Boulder, Colorado -based Lucky's Market , an organic foods supermarket chain that operated 17 stores in 13 states throughout the Midwest and Southeast United States. In February 2017, Kroger withstood large community protests after announcing the closing of two smaller-sized Louisville-area stores. Despite high store volumes and high population densities,
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#17327912606315720-559: The Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron, and St. Louis markets. The company cited that higher wages for union employees made it unable to compete. The chain closed several stores around Flint, Michigan , in 1981, which were converted by local businessman Al Kessel to a new chain called Kessel Food Markets . Kroger bought most of these stores back in 1999 and began reverting them. Several other Michigan stores were sold to another Flint-based chain, Hamady Brothers , in 1980. The Hamady acquisition
5830-505: The San Antonio and Houston markets in early 2002, selling many of the Houston stores to Kroger. In 2004, Kroger bought most of the old Thriftway stores in Cincinnati, Ohio , when Winn-Dixie left the area. These stores were reopened as Kroger stores. In 2007, Kroger acquired Scott's Food & Pharmacy from SuperValu Inc. , and in the same year, also acquired 20 former Michigan Farmer Jack locations from A&P when A&P exited
5940-569: The U.S. began experiencing a severe economic recession . The recession had two significant and related effects on Kroger's operations in the region. One of them was that the highly cyclical manufacturing-based economy of the region declined in greater proportion than the rest of the U.S. , which undercut demand for the higher-end products and services offered by Kroger. Kroger sought wage rollbacks in several areas during this time period including in Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio,
6050-492: The West Virginia Panhandle and Michigan. The second effect of the economic recession was to worsen labor-management relations, causing a protracted labor strike in 1983 and 1984. During the strike, Kroger withdrew all of its stores from the Western Pennsylvania market, including some recently opened "superstores" and "greenhouses", selling these stores to Wetterau (now part of SuperValu ), who promptly flipped
6160-537: The acquisition of the seven-store Hiller's Market chain in Southeast Michigan, and that it would operate all but one of those stores under the Kroger banner. In June 2015, Kroger eliminated the Harris Teeter brand from the crowded Nashville, Tennessee, market, where its growth had been stunted by aggressive competition since it entered with six stores in the early 2000s. Kroger has traditionally had
6270-610: The acquisitions, in September 1957, Kroger sold off its Wichita, Kansas , store division, which consisted of 16 stores, to J. S. Dillon and Sons Stores Company , then headed by Ray S. Dillon, son of the company founder. In October 1963, Kroger acquired the 56-store chain Market Basket, providing them with a foothold in the lucrative southern California market. Prior to this time Kroger had no stores west of Kansas. Kroger, however, failed to make significant headway, only managing
6380-467: The advanced one. The advanced estimated data is based on a subsample from the US CB complete retail and food services sample. Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the United States, supporting 52 million working Americans. In 2011, the grocery market in six countries of Central Europe was worth nearly €107bn, 2.8% more than the previous year when expressed in local currencies. The increase
6490-406: The availability of support services (e.g. credit terms, delivery services, after sales care). These decisions depend on careful analysis of the market, demand, competition as well as the retailer's skills and expertise. Customer service is the "sum of acts and elements that allow consumers to receive what they need or desire from [the] retail establishment." Retailers must decide whether to provide
6600-440: The broad approach to pricing (i.e., the pricing strategy), they turn their attention to pricing tactics. Tactical pricing decisions are shorter term prices, designed to accomplish specific short-term goals. Pricing tactics that are commonly used in retail include discount pricing, everyday low prices , high-low pricing, loss leaders , product bundling , promotional pricing, and psychological pricing . Two strategies to entice
6710-399: The buyer, money back guarantee and buy one get one free , were devised by 18th-century retail entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood . Retailers must also plan for customer preferred payment modes – e.g. cash, credit, lay-by, Electronic Funds Transfer at Point-of-Sale (EFTPOS). All payment options require some type of handling and attract costs. Contrary to common misconception , price is not
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#17327912606316820-492: The chain had grown to 48 stores. By 1973, it expanded into 11 counties, and in 1976, a distribution center was opened in Tampa. Kash n' Karry was acquired by Lucky Stores of California in 1979. After American Stores acquired Lucky in 1988, it sold Kash n' Karry to leveraged buyout firm Gibbons, Green, and van Amerongen. As the buyout was being completed, Kash n' Karry bought 24 Florida Choice supermarkets from Kroger , who
6930-652: The chain with 72 locations. The closings were attributed to competition from regional grocery chain Publix and national chain Walmart . The closings included the two remaining stores in Clermont, ending the company's presence in the Orlando market. In May 2013, Sweetbay and its sister supermarket chains Harveys and Reid's were sold to BI-LO LLC for $ 265 million. Included in the transaction were 72 Sweetbay stores and
7040-753: The chain's three stores in Gainesville, Florida were closed during this time. Also in January 2004, Kash n' Karry announced the creation and rollout of a new supermarket concept called Sweetbay Supermarket in its core markets on the West Coast of Florida. The first of the new Sweetbay Supermarkets opened in Seminole, Florida , on November 6, 2004, and in Fort Myers in December 2004. By March 2007,
7150-549: The chief executive officer. The profit margins of retailers depend largely on their ability to achieve market competitive transaction costs. The strategic retail analysis typically includes following elements: At the conclusion of the retail analysis, retail marketers should have a clear idea of which groups of customers are to be the target of marketing activities. Not all elements are, however, equal, often with demographics, shopping motivations, and spending directing consumer activities. Retail research studies suggest that there
7260-419: The choice of policies aiming at improving the competitive position of the firm, taking account of challenges and opportunities proposed by the competitive environment. On the other hand, managerial decision-making is focused on the implementation of specific targets." In retailing, the strategic plan is designed to set out the vision and provide guidance for retail decision-makers and provide an outline of how
7370-442: The company announced its intention to rebrand all Kash n' Karry locations as Sweetbay Supermarkets. Sweetbay was modeled after Delhaize's Hannaford brand, incorporating store design, logo and branding elements, purchasing systems, and pricing strategy from its northeastern sister company. Additionally, Sweetbay stocked Hannaford-branded products as its generic store brand until 2011, when all Delhaize America stores began offering
7480-437: The company had grown to forty stores and sold $ 1.75 million worth of merchandise each year. In addition, Kroger became the first grocery chain to have its own bakery. In 1916, Kroger company began using self-service shopping. Before this, all articles were kept behind counters. Customers would ask for them, then clerks would deliver them to customers. In 1929, it was rumored that Safeway would merge with Kroger. It took nearly
7590-418: The consumer's store choice and addresses the consumer's expectations. At its most basic level, a retail format is a simple marketplace , that is; a location where goods and services are exchanged. In some parts of the world, the retail sector is still dominated by small family-run stores, but large retail chains are increasingly dominating the sector, because they can exert considerable buying power and pass on
7700-811: The convenience store chain Kwik Shop . David Dillon , a fourth-generation descendant of J. S. Dillon, the founder of Dillon Companies, became the CEO of Kroger. In northeastern Ohio, Kroger had a plant in Solon, Ohio , until the mid-1980s. When that plant shut down, Kroger closed its northeastern Ohio stores in the Cleveland, Akron , and Youngstown areas. Some of those former Kroger stores were taken over by stores like Acme Fresh Markets, Giant Eagle , and Heinens . Kroger opened and had about 50 stores in St. Louis until it left
7810-425: The current competitive retail market, and are also the future of retail enterprises. Presentation refers to the physical evidence that signals the retail image. Physical evidence may include a diverse range of elements – the store itself including premises, offices, exterior facade and interior layout, websites, delivery vans, warehouses, staff uniforms. The environment in which the retail service encounter occurs
7920-453: The customer experience, such as Add-on, Upsell or Cross-sell; Selling on value; and knowing when to close the sale. Transactional marketing aims to find target consumers, then negotiate, trade, and finally end relationships to complete the transaction. In this one-time transaction process, both parties aim to maximize their own interests. As a result, transactional marketing raises follow-up problems such as poor after-sales service quality and
8030-567: The dominant grocer in western Virginia, Kroger entered the Richmond, Virginia , market in 2000, where it competes against market leaders Martin's (including former Ukrop's stores) and Food Lion . Kroger entered the market by purchasing Hannaford stores that either already existed or were being built in Richmond. Hannaford purchases also included the competitive Hampton Roads market, where it now competes with Farm Fresh , Harris Teeter (which
8140-476: The earlier month. For the first 10 months of 2022, retail sales increased by 15.5% by measuring the exact time of 2021. Among its bordering countries, on retail trade percentage of GDP, Armenia ranks more increased than Turkey, but it is still lower than Georgia. Sweetbay Supermarket Sweetbay Supermarket was a chain of American supermarkets located in Florida . The first Sweetbay Supermarket to open
8250-426: The earliest investigations into shopper motivations and identified two broad motives: utilitarian and hedonic. Utilitarian motivations are task-related and rational. For the shopper with utilitarian motives, purchasing is a work-related task that is to be accomplished in the most efficient and expedient manner. On the other hand, hedonic motives refer to pleasure. The shopper with hedonic motivations views shopping as
8360-481: The early department stores were more than just a retail emporium; rather they were venues where shoppers could spend their leisure time and be entertained. Retail, using mail order, came of age during the mid-19th century. Although catalogue sales had been used since the 15th century, this method of retailing was confined to a few industries such as the sale of books and seeds. However, improvements in transport and postal services led several entrepreneurs on either side of
8470-613: The end of the twentieth century, stores were using labels such as "mega-stores" and "warehouse" stores to reflect their growing size. The upward trend of increasing retail space was not consistent across nations and led in the early 21st century to a 2-fold difference in square footage per capita between the United States and Europe. As the 21st century takes shape, some indications suggest that large retail stores have come under increasing pressure from online sales models and that reductions in store size are evident. Under such competition and other issues such as business debt, there has been
8580-400: The environment, thereby enhancing opportunities for purchasing. The first of these malls opened at Northland Mall near Detroit in 1954. Throughout the twentieth century, a trend towards larger store footprints became discernible. The average size of a U.S. supermarket grew from 31,000 square feet (2,900 m ) square feet in 1991 to 44,000 square feet (4,100 m ) square feet in 2000. By
8690-782: The first time. Charlotte and Asheville had been the only large markets in North Carolina where Kroger had no presence. In 2013, Kroger announced that the spouses of the company's unionized workers would no longer be covered by the company's insurance plan. The company cited the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as a prime reason for the move. The benefit cut affected roughly 11,000 workers in Indiana. The company announced in April 2013 that full-time employees would maintain their health insurance benefits. In 2013, Kroger
8800-404: The front of the store, which is known as the decompression zone . In order to maximize the number of selling opportunities, retailers generally want customers to spend more time in a retail store. However, this must be balanced against customer expectations surrounding convenience, access and realistic waiting times. The way that brands are displayed is also part of the overall retail design. Where
8910-438: The idea of retail is often associated with the purchase of goods, the term may be applied to service providers that sell to consumers. Retail service providers include retail banking, tourism, insurance, private healthcare, private education, private security firms, legal firms, publishers, public transport, and others. For example, a tourism provider might have a retail division that books travel and accommodation for consumers plus
9020-448: The importance of added value, customer satisfaction and highlights how the store's market positioning appeals to targeted groups of customers. A retail mix is devised for the purpose of coordinating day-to-day tactical decisions. The retail marketing mix typically consists of six broad decision layers including product decisions, place decisions, promotion, price, personnel and presentation (also known as physical evidence). The retail mix
9130-466: The largest retail market in the world in 2016. In 2016, China became the largest retail market in the world. In the Republic of Armenia, retail trade has been increasing recently. In October 2022, it increased by 23.1% year by year, which was the most considerable rise since April 2021, faster than the 20.7 per cent increase recorded a month earlier. Retail dropped by 1.9% after accumulating 2.1%in
9240-552: The latter countries, this fraction is an increase over 1970, but there are other countries where the sector has declined since 1970, sometimes in absolute terms, where other sectors have replaced its role in the economy. In the United States the sector has declined from 19% of GDP to 14%, though it has risen in absolute terms from $ 4,500 to $ 7,400 per capita per year. In China the sector has grown from 7.3% to 11.5%, and in India even more, from 8.4% to 18.7%. Emarketer predicts China will have
9350-546: The local grocery chain Red Food , which was in turn bought by BI-LO in 1994. Today, Chattanooga is the only metropolitan market in Tennessee in which Kroger does not operate with the nearest location being Dalton, Georgia , with 2 stores (Walnut Avenue and Cleveland Highway). In the 1990s, Kroger acquired Great Scott (Detroit), Pay Less Food Markets , Owen's Market , JayC Food Stores , and Hilander Foods . Additionally,
9460-555: The market in 1986, saying that its stores were unprofitable. Most of its stores were bought by National , Schnucks , and Shop 'n Save . Most of the remaining Kroger stores in eastern Missouri and west-central Illinois became a western extension of the Central Division (headquartered in Indianapolis ). Kroger also experienced a similar withdrawal from Chattanooga, Tennessee , in 1989. Many of these stores were sold to
9570-429: The market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% from 2019 to 2023. In 2023 Kogan Page published a critically acclaimed book " Leading Travel and Tourism Retail ", which researched in depth the travel retail sector post COVID . Among retailers and retails chains a lot of consolidation has appeared over the last couple of decades. Between 1988 and 2010, worldwide 40,788 mergers and acquisitions with
9680-596: The mid-1980s. Sproles and Kendall's consumer typology has been shown to be relatively consistent across time and across cultures. Their typology is based on the consumer's approach to making purchase decisions. Some researchers have adapted Sproles and Kendall's methodology for use in specific countries or cultural groups. Consumer decision styles are important for retailers and marketers because they describe behaviours that are relatively stable over time and for this reason, they are useful for market segmentation. Retail formats (also known as retail formulas ) influence
9790-476: The most important factor for consumers, when deciding to buy a product. Because patronage at a retail outlet varies, flexibility in scheduling is desirable. Employee scheduling software is sold, which, using known patterns of customer patronage, more or less reliably predicts the need for staffing for various functions at times of the year, day of the month or week, and time of day. Usually needs vary widely. Conforming staff utilization to staffing needs requires
9900-448: The needs of the working poor. John Stuart Mill wrote about the rise of the co-operative retail store, which he witnessed first-hand in the mid-19th century. The modern era of retailing is defined as the period from the industrial revolution to the 21st century. In major cities, the department store emerged in the mid- to late 19th century, and permanently reshaped shopping habits, and redefined concepts of service and luxury. Many of
10010-478: The optimal product assortment, customer service , supporting services, and the store's overall market positioning. Once the strategic retail plan is in place, retailers devise the retail mix which includes product, price, place, promotion, personnel, and presentation. The word retail comes from the Old French verb retaillier , meaning "to shape by cutting" ( c. 1365 ). It was first recorded as
10120-484: The process from transaction to relationship. While expanding the sales market and attracting new customers is very important for the retail industry, it is also important to establish and maintain long term good relationships with previous customers, hence the name of the underlying concept, "relational marketing". Under this concept, retail enterprises value and attempt to improve relationships with customers, as customer relationships are conducive to maintaining stability in
10230-429: The product and service mix will optimize customer satisfaction. As part of the strategic planning process, it is customary for strategic planners to carry out a detailed environmental scan which seeks to identify trends and opportunities in the competitive environment, market environment, economic environment and statutory-political environment. The retail strategy is normally devised or reviewed every three to five years by
10340-567: The savings in the form of lower prices. Many of these large retail chains also produce their own private labels which compete alongside manufacturer brands. Considerable consolidation of retail stores has changed the retail landscape, transferring power away from wholesalers and into the hands of the large retail chains. In Britain and Europe, the retail sale of goods is designated as a service activity . The European Service Directive applies to all retail trade including periodic markets, street traders and peddlers. Retail stores may be classified by
10450-623: The shift to multi-channel retailing. To counter the disruption caused by online retail, many bricks and mortar retailers have entered the online retail space, by setting up online catalogue sales and e-commerce websites. However, many retailers have noticed that consumers behave differently when shopping online. For instance, in terms of choice of online platform , shoppers tend to choose the online site of their preferred retailer initially, but as they gain more experience in online shopping, they become less loyal and more likely to switch to other retail sites. Online stores are usually available 24 hours
10560-569: The stores to independent owners while continuing to supply them under the FoodLand and Shop 'n Save brands. Kroger's exit ceded the market to lower-cost, locally owned rivals, most notably Giant Eagle and the SuperValu-supplied grocers. (Kroger purchased Eagle Grocery company, whose founders went on to create Giant Eagle.) Kroger still maintains a presence in the nearby Morgantown, West Virginia , Wheeling, West Virginia , and Weirton, West Virginia / Steubenville, Ohio , areas where Giant Eagle has
10670-551: The streets of Tampa beginning in 1914. In 1922, he and his wife Giuseppina opened a storefront at their home. The Greco family built a proper store in 1947 under the name Big Barn in Plant City, Florida . The business expanded and they had opened nine stores by 1960 under the name Tampa Wholesale. In 1962, the name changed again to Kash n' Karry, based on the cash and carry program of World War II . People would bring in their "cash" and "carry" out their own groceries. By 1970,
10780-639: The time, it was considered the largest dairy plant in the world. Kroger exited the Chicago market in 1970, selling its distribution warehouse in Northlake, Il. and 24 stores to the Dominick's Finer Foods grocery chain. Kroger exited the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area in 1970, selling 16 stores to Quality Foods, which rebranded the stores to Piggly Wiggly . Kroger exited Milwaukee in 1972, selling
10890-402: The type of product carried. Softline retailers sell goods that are consumed after a single-use , or have a limited life (typically under three years) in they are normally consumed. Soft goods include clothing , other fabrics , footwear , toiletries , cosmetics , medicines and stationery . Grocery stores , including supermarkets and hypermarkets , along with convenience stores carry
11000-403: The way that consumers pay for goods and services. Retailing support services may also include the provision of credit, delivery services, advisory services, stylist services and a range of other supporting services. Retail workers are the employees of such stores. Most modern retailers typically make a variety of strategic level decisions including the type of store, the market to be served,
11110-523: The year, Leonard Green invested $ 30 million to take full control of the company. The company filed for bankruptcy in November 1994 and emerged the next month after restructuring its debt. Kash n' Karry held an IPO in 1995. In December 1996, Kash n' Karry was acquired by Food Lion , the American division of Delhaize Group . In July 1999, Food Lion also acquired Hannaford and a new holding company
11220-399: Was closing the chain. When Gibbons, Green and van Amerongen dissolved in 1989, Leonard Green & Partners became the controlling stockholder. By 1989 the supermarket had 97 locations, more than 8,200 employees, and annual sales exceeding $ 900 million. In 1991, Kash n' Karry began modernizing its stores. It also introduced its Kash n' Karry and Kash Saver private labels. At the end of
11330-410: Was created, making Kash n' Karry a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delhaize America. In 2002, Kash n' Karry pulled out of the competitive Orlando market with only two stores remaining in Clermont, 25 miles west of Orlando. In January 2004, it was announced that 34 Kash n' Karry locations would close in order to focus on the West Coast of Florida and free up resources to open and remodel 20 stores. Two of
11440-575: Was generated foremost by the discount stores and supermarket segments, and was driven by the skyrocketing prices of foodstuffs. This information is based on the latest PMR report entitled Grocery retail in Central Europe 2012 National accounts show a combined total of retail and wholesale trade, with hotels and restaurants. in 2012 the sector provides over a fifth of GDP in tourist-oriented island economies, as well as in other major countries such as Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, and Spain. In all four of
11550-642: Was in Seminole, Florida , in November 2004. The company's headquarters was located near Tampa , in Hillsborough County , Florida . It was a part of the Belgian Delhaize Group . In May 2013, the chain was purchased by BI-LO . On October 8, 2013, BI-LO announced it was retiring the Sweetbay name and all remaining locations would be re-branded as Winn-Dixie . Salvatore Greco, an Italian immigrant, sold fruits and vegetables in
11660-553: Was in 2016 with more than 2,700 deals. In terms of added value 2007 set the record with the US$ 225 billion. Here is a list of the top ten largest deals (ranked by volume) in the Retail Industry: As of 2016, China was the largest retail market in the world. The National Retail Federation and Kantar annually rank the nation's top retailers according to sales. The National Retail Federation also separately ranks
11770-717: Was noted for carrying 17 out of 22 Red List species, four of which are in the top list of said species. On March 3, 2015, Kroger announced it would enter Hawaii , having registered with the state as a new business in February 2015. Kroger was planning to expand to Hawaii in 2006 but withdrew after it had already submitted registration. Kroger, which is in the process of looking for locations to open its first store, will face competition from Honolulu-based rivals Foodland and Times ; major retailers Safeway, Walmart, and Costco ; Japanese-owned Don Quixote; and Department of Defense-owned DeCA Commissaries. On May 1, 2015, Kroger announced
11880-472: Was replaced with retail trade involving coinage. Selling and buying are thought to have emerged in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) in around the 7th-millennium BCE. In ancient Greece , markets operated within the agora , an open space where, on market days, goods were displayed on mats or temporary stalls. In ancient Rome , trade took place in the forum . The Roman forum was arguably the earliest example of
11990-735: Was short-lived. In 1982, Kroger sold the 65-store Market Basket chain it had operated for several years in southern California. The stores were reverted to the Boys Markets branding, after acquiring the chain. Boys Markets was acquired by the Yucaipa Companies in 1989. When Yucaipa acquired Ralphs , the Boys brand disappeared. In 1983, The Kroger Company acquired Dillon Companies grocery chain in Kansas along with its subsidiaries ( King Soopers , City Market , Fry's and Gerbes ) and
12100-585: Was the largest in all the Americas . By the 17th century, permanent shops with more regular trading hours were beginning to supplant markets and fairs as the main retail outlet. Provincial shopkeepers were active in almost every English market town. As the number of shops grew, they underwent a transformation. The trappings of a modern shop, which had been entirely absent from the 16th- and early 17th-century store, gradually made way for store interiors and shopfronts that are more familiar to modern shoppers. Prior to
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